Naruto Shingetsu: Clash of a Conflicting Obligation; Katai vs Toushi
The Ame-no-Mihashira Inn. A beautiful building built within a mountain towering the outskirts of Kumogakure, Although the various facilities and rooms were located throughout the entire structure, statues of octopi, swords and kabuki samurai decorated the exterior. And despite the rather tough looking exterior, the Inn possessed a delicate and soft interior design - one which he attributes to a woman's touch. Shinobi, mercenary and citizens mingled among one another. While nowhere near as busy as international meetings, business carried on quite diligently. "Look at it!" Katai exclaimed. He held up a woodblock portrait that displayed a rather troublesome situation. A scantly cladded model was surrounded by several Oni of different colors, each clothed in loincloths while wielding massive clubs. He held the masterpiece high above his head, grinning from ear to ear as he searched for the perfect place to hold it. Over the bar? No, a work of art like this required sobriety to truly comprehend its magnificence. Next to the window? The incoming burst of moonlight would contrast with the lights which lit the restaurant. Obscuring the finest details. "Seriously, this is the first piece of the overall Miner's Wife series illustrated by Shouichirou Takeshi himself!" Katai looked at the dumbfounded child. "What?! Never heard of him?! He's new, of course you wouldn't know who he is. Don't look at me like that. All the greatest artist started somewhere and now their pieces are worth more than an entire city of gold!" He pulled the white cloak which covered his body tighter, almost insulted at the child's ignorance. "Idiot!" She roared. Her voice shook the room, somehow overpowering the laughter of children, ANBU and other guest of different positions. But they appeared to ignore her. Frequent visitors were familiar with this particular show. Bi tapped the back of Katai's head, sending him soaring into the bar of expensive sake and other drinks. "In what world does it make sense showing this to a child?! And god help you if I find out you spent more money on this useless crap." She snatched the picture and tossed it out the window. "I told Raikage to send you on a mission far away, what the hell you're doing here?!" "I don't have to leave yet, jerk. And thank you for tossing out our retirement fund." Katai stood up dazed. He looked upon his attacker, the beautiful host for a beast who somehow she managed to surpass in random rampages. Even Bi's brown eyes, chocolate in texture, brought fear to the Kumogakure shinobi who fought thousands of demons. "Besides, They're still figuring out if its a lead worth following. Why waste unnecessary manpower dealing with those things." "Afraid of a few demons?" Bi teased. "You should be afraid of that child's mother after he tells her what you showed him." She grabbed a nearby tray and started to place a random assortment of battles on it. "Here darling." A nearby waitress took the tray and headed off. She turned back to Katai and smiled "Honey, if you can refrain from getting us in trouble. I have enough headaches to deal with." She kissed his forehead. "Make yourself useful and clean up that mess you made." "I made a me-" Bi glared deeply into Katai's soul. He felt the fiery anger boiling behind her calm eyes. A silent hurricane slowly approaching the coast. "Fine!" He accepted defeat and gathered his composure. "Seriously, it's not like anyone else here understands the beauty of the female body." He mumbled. "What was that?!" "Nothing." Katai readjusted the shelves and restocked the supply. He watched her walk away, staring at her alluring body until she disappeared behind several elegant curtains. The kitchen, usually bustling with orders and dropped kitchenware, was incredibly quiet. As expected after international business slowed to a crawl. Demons appeared brave, more organized, seemingly acting under a united goal. The sudden explosion of chaos halted the evolution of inter-village relationships while nurturing the natural distrust humans hold for one another. But luckily their income hadn't suffered too much. She was happy and safe...which is what mattered most to Katai. His smile disappeared after remembering the dossier left on his office desk. "Escort a caravan to the Land of Lightning's outskirts." Katai sighed. "Better than being a barmaid at least." ---- Among the numerous masses filing in an out of the inn throughout the course of the day strolled a robed man, whose staff rang with a light metallic sound. While the expression on face was obscured by the wide brim of his hat, he carried a distinct intensity as he entered the facility. Despite this fact, his presence seemed all but ignored by the patrons of the establishment as he easily cut a path through the crowd on his way to the bar. Quietly taking a seat he removed his hat, setting it on the surface before him, and carefully leaned his staff against the edge of the counter beside himself. His face, while mostly covered with bandages, relayed a surprisingly calm demeanor as he raised his hand to attract the attention of the man behind the bar, revealing similar bandages wrapped around from his forearms down. "What'd you like?" Katai asked the bandaged man, approaching with a calm aura himself. He felt a wicked presence choke him. The sort of corrupted energy only shinobi of damnable power wielded. Bi walked by the two without a care in the world. Her hips swayed as she walked around ignorant to the silent bubble which had formulated between her husband and the stranger. Of course. Criminals and mercenaries have stayed at this Inn thousands of times. A bandaged shinobi wouldn't catch her attention without threats of burning down the place or killing a waitress. But Katai felt it...the type of energy one would feel in a war against monsters. "Good afternoon, sir," the bandaged man replied prudently, "If it's not too much to ask, could I begin with a glass of water?" Glancing around the building he couldn't help but show a small smile on face. "I always feel blessed to discover comfortable establishments like this on the road," he commented aloud, "Businesses of this nature seem to be dying breed in this day and age." Katai poured him a glass of water and placed it before the gentleman. He retrieved a glass of juice for himself and sat across him. "Everyone has somewhere to go but nowhere to stay." He joked. But his voice had a hint of seriousness, as one would when discussing official business. "At least here, I can offer kindness to those in need." He looked to the miniature statues of differing goddesses and gods. "Where're you from, traveler? Not often people risk traveling between demon-torn countries for a glass of water." "I'm afraid it's the demons themselves that keep me on the road," he said, taking a hold of a staff for a moment and jingling the rings atop its head, "Despite all of our advances in technology, in a world plagued by war vile phantasms are brought to fruition by the suffering of mankind. I'm not sure if you are a superstitious man, and I'm not a missionary here to convert you or a monk beg for alms, but the nature of my work are the ritualistic needs of the people. I've traveled the land since I was a child, so I can't really say I come from anywhere in particular, but..." Stopping short, either having said his part or simply unwilling to continue, he nodded in thanks for the glass of water and took a drink. "With all the horrors in the world, a simple glass of water is is far from trivial in my book. A thirsty enough man would muster the will to slay a hundred demons," he joked in response. Katai laughed wholeheartedly. The man's words were as wise as they were indeed true. The people needed faith in a time like this. Hope in a higher power or a greater understanding often served as the greatest source of power. Even in the Five Shinobi Villages, people placed their hearts in the hand of a single existence. Not for the idea that the Kage were gods or supernatural beings, they lived the same century as Ms. Yamagawa who owned the pet shop. It is their existence as a Kage itself. A status that equals the forgotten deities of old. And this man was nothing more than a traveling prophet. "Well its on the house since the only demons here are the children running around outside." Katai joked. Still, the thick sensation of horror bothered him. Katai's defenses were well maintained as he analyzed the situation through a calm mind. "Do you plan on staying the night? My wife runs the restaurant but I'm the owner the Inn itself. A free room should be enough payment for the work you do for people." Reaching into his sleeve he passed over a bill of small denomination, "I appreciate the offer, so please pass on my free drink to the next person who really deserves it." Finishing his glass of water he stood back up, collected his belongings and looked towards the door. "If I'm still in town near the end of the day, and need a place to stay, I'll stop back by," he explained with a kind smile, "It's been a long time since I've had a home cooked meal." Katai grinned. "I'll make sure to keep the doors open." The moon shined brightly over Kumogakure, illuminating the various houses built into the vast mountains. The village was silent. A rare blessing to experience the occasional peaceful night among the chaotic state of the outside world. Katai entered the master bedroom and approached his bed. He softly sat on the edge and looked at the ebony enchantress resting soundly. His hands traced the womanly figure hidden beneath the blanket, pulling it over Bi's voluptuous body lovingly. A gentle kiss. Who knows if he'll live to enjoy sunrise. "At least I know you'll be safe." Katai whispered. He touched the Iron (鉄, tetsu) seal printed on her arm before tracing it downwards. Smaller symbols and different formula appeared, creating an intricate web of sequences that covered her body. They disappeared with a gentle kiss on her forehead. Katai exited the room, closing the door tightly behind him. He pressed his hand against the door with a deep breath. An imperial symbol flashed, after which, the Kumogakure shinobi headed towards the restaurant. It was empty. Although he should've locked the doors hours before, Katai kept them wide open; almost awaiting his special guest to return. Meanwhile, he polished the numerous glasses that were left on the counter to pass the time. The night air had gained a slight chill as the robed man made his way back to the inn, the whistling wind the only break in the otherwise silent atmosphere. His approach towards the open establishment could be described as neither a brisk pace nor mindless meandering, almost as if the man was unsure of his own intentions. Sure enough though he eventually stepped through the doorway and, upon taking notice of the man behind the bar, nodded in polite recognition. "I suppose you're a man of your word," he said as he calmly glanced around the nearly empty building, "It seems I've arrived a bit too late for a meal though." "Yeah. The kitchen's been closing earlier unfortunately. No use wasting labour hours for one or two guest." Katai placed the glassware away while keeping his attention focused upon his unique visitor. His white cloak covered his arms, leaving only his black undershirt visible beneath. "But I know you're not here for food," Katai smirked. "especially considering that this is your third visit in a week." "So, you've caught on to that degree?" the wanderer questioned, having yet reveal his face upon entry, "That's honestly some degree of relief. If you were completely unaware of the situation at hand, then I would..." In a similar fashion to his discussion with the barkeep on a prior visit, the robed individual cut himself off mid sentence once again. "Never mind that, my apologies for rambling," he stated, before returning to the situation at hand, "I'm not foolish enough to ask someone of your nature to back down, or even to accept your surrender as anything more than an elaborate scheme. So, I suppose the only thing left to ask you, is the name of the man I'll be fighting tonight. As etiquette dictates, I am Tōshi of the Ashiya and I'm here to discern the current guise of a demon, and secure it if at all possible." So once more... There have been many elaborate attempts. Hundreds of secrets and and thousands of disguises. But this was the first time one displayed an honorable approach to it. Still, the amount of battles had caused Katai to lose interest in the source. Another village? Some random despot with cracked ideals and methods? Foolish sages hoping to wield power well beyond their mortal understanding? Regardless, Katai had several promises to keep and an overall dream to uphold. "Katai." He exited the bar and approached the main dining area. The two faced one another between numerous chairs upturned. A thick silence filled the room. But Katai's gaze was strong enough to cut through it ferociously. "Unfortunately, that demon is my wife...and I'll be the only thing securing it." "If you responded with anything less I wouldn't able to take this seriously," Tōshi remarked, taking off his hat and tossing it to the side, where it landed right side up on a table. Tapping his staff against the floor beneath himself, the rogue's staff jingled as six swordsmen in black armor filed into the building from behind him. "I don't have the luxury of time, so I hope you don't mind that I brought some help." With his part said the half a dozen warriors drew their blades and focused their attention on Katai. He sighed. The fact that Toushi had arrived so prepared made this quite troublesome. But something deep within his stomach boiled...perhaps the idea of a decent battle and chance to overcome this obstacle sparked his curiosity. It brought light to his golden eyes which gleamed in the dancing fires. "You? I'd rather be in bed right now..." He joked. "But this should be easier than some of the other attempts I've foiled." Katai pushed his hair backwards. A kunai darted towards Toushi from seemingly nothing. It moved with impeccable speed, becoming a streak of silver light between the two enemies. Metal objects followed the unique throwing weapon, slamming after it with considerable force. Undoubtedly Katai's aim was true, but despite that the kunai fired from some place unseen narrowly missed Tōshi's head, it's path altered at the last possible moment. The slight delay between the initial projectile and the incoming barrage of metallic debris in the room gave him enough pause to sidestep the second wave. "They were drawn to the first object?" he thought to himself, as he glanced back at the collection of items behind him, "...and that chakra nature is new to me. It must be an advanced nature of some sort." Meanwhile the black swordsmen fanned out around the room, three of them lunging towards him while the other half engulfed their blades with luminescent chakra. In the same breath, Tōshi returned his attention to his opponent and released four black crows from his sleeve, two which began to circle around him while the latter half moved in towards Katai as well. No way these things are real. Katai thought to himself. The sudden realization interrupted by the vicious onslaught. He released several pulses to no avail. Never seen a katana unresponsive to my chakra. Tentacles erupted beneath the approaching samurai and constricted their windpipes. Without resistance, they'd maliciously snap their victim's necks with a slight tug. Katai evaded the crows by leaping over the bar. His left hand pulsed and the kunai lodged in the wall behind his opponent responded. It soared back to its master, tip first and with enough speed to easily tear through human flesh. "Chakra pulses?" Tōshi noted internally as his comrades closed in on the barkeep, only to be suddenly restrained and executed in an instant, "...and now tentacles." Without question this opponent had more than one trick up their sleeve, not even including the ploys hidden by his literal sleeves. Watching as the three former mercenaries collapsed onto the ground, Tōshi senses a similar pulse of chakra once again. "Resonance between him and a point behind me," he thought to himself in an instant, before being forced to perform an impromptu reevaluation, "No, a connection between him and the item itself." While the attack from behind him should have easily skewered him, it was intercepted by one of the crows Tōshi had set to fly around him. Even more curious than the innate response of the crow was the fact that as the kunai made contact with the bird it simply sank into its form and disappeared altogether, without any sign of damage or a degree of irritation. Following up without delay, the remaining three swordsmen failed to respond to the event in any manner whatsoever, thereby demonstrating an unnatural level of resolve in the face of the merciless murder of their brethren, and instead fired of chakra from their illuminated blades in Katai's direction. While the trajectory of the three simultaneous attacks were on a collision course with the barkeep, the combined array that they formed primarily cut off evasion on both of his flanks, and directly forward. Instead the only path not quickly being consumed by searing waves of energy was directly backwards, the direction in which the two previously evaded had circled around and were aiming towards Katai once again. As the omnidirectional assault enclosed his target, Tōshi carefully observed his opponent for their next strategy. Surrounded. Katai had foolishly handed Toushi the advantage. A truly troublesome predicament. He knew that shinobi of the sealing creed weren't meant to command frontlines; yet Katai waged war against several warriors without waver. Afterall, in a village of brawn Katai valued intelligence. He regarded his mind as his greatest weapon and worshiped powerful shinobi whose mental prowess were the foundation of brutish leaders. Katai smirked. His hands moved without a moment's hesitation the instant he noticed the glowing swords. He tapped his wrist. An enormous cloud of smoke erupted and engulfed the room. An earth seal. Katai slipped beneath the earthern floor and shot forward. Normal users used the magnetic field to maneuver from below. But those born with blessed gifts possessed a greater perception of world. From the mountain upon which his establishment had been carved, Katai deduced that the threat was actually before him. "So what the hell are those things he's controlling." He spat. "Whatever they are, I have to focus on him. Every jutsu has a weakness. Numerical advantages just mean target the brains." Meanwhile, Katai remained unmoving after the barrage of chakra blast and samurai strikes. Another seal, shadow clone jutsu. Katai slowly emerged from the earth and dashed to the entrance of the restaurant. His mouth in a cheeky grin as he stood behind his opponent. His finger flickered, a manriki gusari exploded towards the invader. Its head guided by a magnetic command, the chained weight zoomed around the room in various unpredictable trajectories. Tightening with each revolution in hopes of entangling Toushi. Several silverware were attached to the train as his own energy circulated throughout. "Earth natured chakra," Tōshi thought to himself a mere moment after the room was filled with a dense smokescreen that inhibited his vision. While the collision of his techniques seemingly connected, he had extreme doubts that his barrage ended on such a high note. His suspicions were answered an instant later as a weighted chain shot towards him with great vigor, metallic items from the room following closely behind. While normally the veritable volleys of projectiles dragged in tow of the possessed chain would be incomprehensible in this artificial fog, the fact that his opponent's own energy radiated from the objects nullified the necessity of sight. Regardless, avoiding all the objects with normal means would be exhaustive even for the most elusive of shinobi. Thus, an alternative strategy was in order. Holding up a single-handed seal, the robed man's form dispersed into a murder of crows that joined the four similar creatures that he had already summoned earlier. While initially few such birds were formed, as they circled around the room they appeared to be rapidly growing in numbers. Despite several of the winged entities being struck down by the irregular movements of the chain and the metallic debris, which littered the floor with black feathers and several corpses, the room was soon filled with countless birds in flight. At the same time, the three swordsmen still on their feet spread moved in towards the opponent that had emerged from the ground, moving in a manner that suggested they were quite unaware of the smoke on the room. As if the world needed any more miracles, there now existed a shinobi whose specialty involved transforming into a murder of crows Of course. And the emperor's assassination squad ain't help the situation. Fine! With a swift motion, the chain bounced between the three samurai. The large armoured bodies and almost starving desire to defeat Katai made them easy targets. Another surge of chakra, they would fly towards one another and almost stick to one another. From which the chain wrapped around them before tucking itself in a neat knot. The charge of each samurai and the chain made it so they wouldn't escape let alone move. Katai kept his distance from the room. Awaiting the murder of crows to subside. Yet his defense remained strong. Without resistance the trio of swordsmen were drawn in together and bound by the chain, rendering them immobile. "I think I have a grasp on your technique now, Katai," a crow spoke allowed from its perch on the counter, the voice easily identified as Tōshi's. "Though I feel like you may be a step or two behind, and at this" murmured a second crow on the opposite side of the room, the same voice being projected as the first. "At this rate you're going to lose your most valuable possession without even struggling," a third crow explained, shaking it head in dramatic manner unfit for a bird. For the moment he seemed content on dragging out this situation, for some reason. His words weren't a lie though, if Katai continued to fight in this manner it would be his downfall. Luckily Tōshi had already planned for what he expected to be the inevitable undoing of his maneuver, the Bounded Field of Illusions. Of the two potential sources of his technique, one of them was both a decoy and a , while even the true target had an additional intertwined within its form, that would need to be triggered to end the illusion. Hoping to keep his edge for the moment though, a blade in motion seemingly manifested a fraction of a second from beheading the magnetic combatant. Its wielder, one of the once dead warriors with a broken neck had somehow pulled itself from the ground. This individual, his head dangling down, had somehow closed the distance between itself and Katai without a sound, presence, or even a slight sensation of metal. Only a brief glint of light reflecting off the sword as it closed in on the man's throat delivered a warning. Really though, so that's how it is?! Although the crows spent their time taunting the shinobi, his face betrayed the situation at hand. Instead, he smiled arrogantly at the oncoming assault. He allowed the sword to slice through his neck, propelling himself backwards in time to avoid a complete execution. "Shit...is this how it ends." The ebony shinobi choked on his blood as he fell to the ground. "P-please," He begged. "burn..in hell.." "Really though, there's no way I can deduce the mechanics of his technique in time - the longer I'm in his domain the higher his advantage." Katai contemplated. While the crow taunted the clone, Katai maneuvered between the levels of the massive establishment, burrowing throughout the mountain while strategically attaching tags underneath the two combatants. "She's going to kill me." Katai thought. He moved elaborately beneath the earth before diverging from the roof of the lower floor. He touched his shoulder and another Katai appeared before him. He touched his doppleganger's chest with a slight tap, pressing against what appeared to be hundreds of paper. Chakra ignited within his fingers as he retrieved a Fūma Shuriken from thin air, which he handed over to the clone. "Hold him off. Katai disappeared into the earth once more. The clone formed a seal. On command, the explosive tags erupted in a series of chaotic explosions. Ferocious outburst. Silverware and furniture were sent soaring across the room, bursting into miniature pieces from the horrific detonation. The floor itself collapsed into carpet of fire as the once massive floor broke into miniature chunks of rock. Below, Katai watched the earthly rain. He unfolded the massive shuriken and tossed it towards the falling body of his opponent. It moved at unimaginable speeds due to a slight magnetic push that propelled it. It phased into a thousand clones, each capable of cleaving through his enemy. The first step of his attack complete... He returned to the room of his lover who, despite the chaotic battle, remained in a semi-comatose state. He clapped his hands and a smallish scroll erupted in a cloud of smoke. He quickly unrolled it and performed two seals. Smoke bleed from the scroll and towards the sleeping demon in a widened gape. It started to engulf her, crawling over her body before sucking her into its warm grasp. Simultaneously, words, numbers and symbols littered itself across the scroll. One could say that the resulting formula appeared in the shape of 献呈. Katai looked at the empty bed and sighed. He rolled the scroll up before sealing it back onto his body. He jumped at the explosions. Now was the time for him to continue his battle. However, not without several cautions. He performed several seals and tapped the door of the room. He also placed several pillows beneath the covers. Another seal. "Ridiculous." Tōshi thought to himself as the floor of the building collapsed and gave way to a veritable hell, appropriately decorated with all the fire and cataclysm necessary to live up to the term. It was a rash ploy by an opponent in a dire situation, but the maneuver was far from a misstep. In fact, one could say that responding in such an abrupt manner was the only strategy useful when you're drowning in an illusory abyss. Regardless of the fiery onslaught, the robed man didn't overlook the brief presence of his adversary on concert with Earth-natured chakra. "So that's how things are?" he thought to himself returning from his crow form, and manifesting a elastic barrier to buffer the explosive forces bearing down on him. The type of barrier made it particularly well suited to this form of blunt force trauma, as it allowed some of the incoming force to be redirected back at its source. Taking note of the now familiar, though yet to be identified, advanced nature as he descended towards the crumbling earth beneath him, Tōshi directed his attention towards the oversized shuriken coming his way. While initially unimpressed by the attack, its sudden multiplication added a degree of threat to the maneuver. Responding in kind to his opponent, the robed man commanded his murder of crows to wrap around him, creating a dense mesh of black feathers. At their core, these crows were not simply summoned familiars but shikigami giving form to . In an instant, they generated a living fortress akin to layered armored scales. Reinforcing his defense against the barrage of shuriken, the crow armor began to itself in the face of the assault, manifesting a self-sustaining defense against the volley of steel. In the aftermath of the clash of techniques, with the remains of the residence littering the environment alongside countless bits of broken steel and thousands of stray feathers, Tōshi lowered the remains of his barriers and glanced around. "Looks like my decoy has been circumvented," he murmured to himself with a sigh, looking at the ashen remains of his hat that he had equipped with an explosive tag. Despite this, the robed man was surprised to see his half dozen swordsmen still active, pulling themselves from the ground with a creaking noise. With their flesh scorched and bloody, and their ragged armor barely hanging onto their beaten skeletons, the group looked more akin to demons or the undead than mere men. Even as their designer, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud of the detail in their performance. Still though, for the illusion to have survived that onslaught was quite fortunate indeed. No, the fact that it was still active was more than mere coincidence. "Leave it to a fellow fūinjutsushi to secure his money so well," Tōshi couldn't help but chuckle for a brief moment, only to put on a stern gaze. The man realized that an important presence had all but faded away in the commotion. His opponent seemed more than capable than continually projecting volleys at him, so it was unlikely that impromptu defenses would allow him to outlast his enemy. While his illusory swordsmen, and therefore his bounded field, were still in effect, a more appropriate offense was necessary. As his warrior constructs formed a perimeter around the robed man, Tōshi directed his attention to the earth beneath him. Fighting an opponent who possessed an entire additional direction of movement put him at an extreme disadvantage. An honorable opponent matches their opponent at their best, but the victorious often remove their opponent's advantages. Weaving a few quick hand seals he slammed his hand into the ground as sealing script layered across the surface and slight vibration pulsed through the ground. A first glance most observers may have expected the from the seals and seal array, but no such entity manifested above the surface. In actuality, Tōshi transferred one of the many curses sealed onto his body into the earth itself and, upon infusing the cursed earth into shikigami, created a inexplicable monstrosity composed of an unholy array of fangs and claws. With such a creature burrowing uninhibited through the ground beneath him, poisoning the ground as it traveled, even an unnaturally durable opponent would be forced to the surface or be forever known as a shinobi who literally dug their own grave. "Don't worry, I'm not running anytime soon." Another shuuriken appeared in Katai's hand. Chakra slowly imprinted itself onto the weapon, circulating freely. The other shuriken, which hadn't disappeared, littered the floor around the combatant. "He can sense when I control the shuriken using my magnetic chakra. Which means..." Katai, with his free hand, commanded the thousand shuriken to enter a ferocious cyclone with Toushi in the center. Each shuriken was given a random trajectory which followed a push pull trajectory. "Only the arrogant use stationary fighting styles." With his free hand he tossed the demonic shuriken towards his enemy. Yet he grabbed hold of on shuriken in particular, forcing the two into a collision with enough force to send the thrown weapon upwards. "Shit, im losing control!" Katai yelled. It lodged itself into the ceiling located a floor above Toushi. However, he continued his chaotic bombardment. The same strategy as before. His face was one without hope. Tags were placed under the pillow with a slight connection to the formula located on the overall bed. Katai sighed. Battling without the proper precautions meant handing over his advantages. Also, he was extremely limited within the confines of his Inn. There's no way he'd destroy that which was built from the product of love. But this opponent...he was different...he displayed a method of preparation and coontemplation which rivalled, if not surpassed, Katai. It was frighteningly exhilarating to oppose such a tenacious opponent. Now to reclaim the battlefield. He turned towards the window and leapt out with a ferocious grin. He headed towards the Jounin training grounds located atop a nearby mountain. "It seems like the genjutsu ended when I left the area. But those wounds were impossible to fake. And plus, what's the point of firing chakra in such a destructive way in an illusion-" Katai's eyes widened in a sudden epiphany. The information gathered from the one specific clone played in reverse. Katai slowly emerged from the earth and dashed to the entrance of the restaurant. Yes. The outside of the restaurant was in perfect condition. Hell. He hadn't seen the actual samurai until he barged back into the battlefield. It was almost like reality had altered itself to fit a certain description. "It isn't real." Yet his clones had been defeated despite lacking any magnetic sensations. "Or it's only as real as the person makes it. Combining it with a barrier means that he can literally manipulate reality. "It's a placebo...Or coercing a witness into confessing to a crime which they ain't commit. Shit! This fucker is dangerous." Katai continued towards his destination. "But every barrier has a core..." Truly the vortex of steel was quite the spectacle to behold, as such an attack would be able to tear even the highest caliber of mortals to shreds in an instant. "It's a shame. If you would have used that from the very beginning, you may have stood a chance," Tōshi commented as his attention drifted to the barely present signature of a beast moving rapidly away. "Did she choose to flee," he thought to himself as he watched from corner of the room as his opponents attack swirled rapidly. Needless to say, Katai's aim was nowhere near on target. Littered among the multitude of shuriken were an equal if not greater number of black crow feathers. Each of these seemingly harmless items were imbued with an illusion that distorted the victim's perception of distance and space. By successfully layering myriad of these distortions upon a single target it was honestly surprising that Katai hadn't skewered himself with his own assault. Regardless, with the beast and its host quickly departing the area it was prudent that the traveling monk took his leave, but there was one thing left to do before he departed. Just as Toushi was about to close in on his opponent to end this charade, a silver haired woman in similarly colored kimono appeared before him as if she had been standing in the room all along. Without a doubt she had an air about her that instantly gave away her humanity. "The barrier is complete, milord," she reported in a sarcastic tone, "...but not before your prey slipped out I'm afraid." "If you're coming to report about the tailed beast leaving," Tōshi explained, "then I really don't need an update from you. In fact, I almost feel like you delayed the completion of the boundary so that I would have to continue this chase for as long as possible." "While that does sound like me," the young woman responded from behind a chuckle, "I'm actually here to tell you that the man that you think you're fighting is the one who left. What you're looking at is simply another Shadow Clone." Stepping a few steps away from Toushi the silver haired twirled around for a few momments before addressing her lord once again. "Your insight is lacking if you couldn't perceive such a thing instantly," she laughed once again, "What a pitiful excuse for a master you are." Making his way to the exit to pursue the actual Katai, the robed man tossed a paper tag over to the young woman. "Feel free to play with this one as much as you want," he commented mentally, referring to the clone struggling in the wreckage, "But...when you're done, make sure to consume the clone with and attach it to the core of this barrier before forwarding it to me as a shikigami. Just in case you didn't already know, the source of this illusion is with the rest of the this establishment's money." With his part conveyed, the robed man strolled out into the night and focused his attention. His familiar was correct, Katai's presence could be discerned alongside the faint signal of the beast heading in the direction of a mountain in the distance. Whether his opponent was hoping to barricade himself behind some manner of defenses, or simply reclaim the an advantageous territory, he had no time to waste. Picking up his pace Tōshi cut through the night in pursuit of his target.